Catalyst - Boon Support Power DPS

The community gave this build a rating, making it second-tier: Good

Focused on: Direct damage and Support

Designed for: Raids

Difficulty:

Hard

This build was last updated on September 10, 2023 and is up to date for the August 22, 2023 game patch.

Overview

A quickness-providing catalyst build. In addition to offering strong DPS, it provides ~15 Might, permanent Fury, ~80% Resolution, ~80% Protection and ~65% Vigor. It will also occasionally provide Swiftness when it blasts its lightning field.

The rotation is identical to the DPS build, and the frequent application of Quickness makes it fairly reliable. Like any catalyst build, its will struggle if it is unable to reliably generate energy, which can mean that encounters with phases or disruptive mechanics cause the build to underperform.

While it can technically provide Aegis from , the rigidity of its rotation makes it difficult in practise.

Skill Bar

Hammer

Utility

Weapon Variants

Players who own Secrets of the Obscure can use Sword/Warhorn instead. This provides slightly better boons, but is also slightly lower damage and requires ~20% boon duration. As energy regeneration is also lower, it can be harder to recover from mistakes if is not available.

• A simple (if suboptimal) swap would be to run and instead of and .
• You should also run as your elite.

Skill Variants

• will provide more burst damage than .
• will be more damage than on large hitboxes.
• is a minor DPS loss if you prefer to avoid conjured weapons, or you think you won't get use out of the second one.
• Use if using Sword/Warhorn.

Template Code

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Equipment

Head
Berserker

Shoulders
Berserker

Chest
Berserker

Hands
Berserker

Legs
Berserker

Feet
Berserker

Backpiece
Berserker

Accessory
Berserker

Accessory
Berserker

Amulet
Berserker

Ring
Berserker

Ring
Berserker

Hammer
Berserker

Sigil

Sigil

Rune
x6

Infusion
x18

Relic

• is a tiny DPS loss.

Consumables

Food:

• or ascended versions

Utility:

Usage

Quickness Catalyst uses the same rotation as Catalyst - Power DPS.

Rotation fundamentals

Catalyst's rotation can be varied quite a lot, so an outline is provided rather than a strict skill usage. The fundamental goal is to cycle through all four elements, activating the Circular Projectile in each element before releasing them all with and starting the loop again. Jade Sphere is also used in each element for boons.

Jade Sphere use

During the loop, you also want to deploy your Jade Sphere once in each element. Each one provides Quickness and one other boon upon activation, then pulses additional boons for the duration. You do not regain the energy needed to cast them while one is active, so it's best to cast them in "pairs" as you switch attunements. This creates some gaps in the loop where energy can recharge, and as the most powerful autoattacks are found in Fire and Earth, these attunements are the best choice to stay in. The sphere does the same amount base damage in each element, but thanks to the damage buffs you gain while in Fire and Air, these attunements are higher priority. also generates stacks of , and and will last longer if used while standing in and .

Glyph of Storms use

should be used either in Fire or Air attunement. Optimal use will depend on phase timings as well as hitbox size - Fire favouring small hitboxes and Air favouring large. Given the damage and cooldown, Fire should be the more efficient option, but the rotation lines up somewhat awkwardly compared to using it in Air, so consider the following:

• A rule of thumb for elementalist is that your last in each phase should be used in Air, so try to keep an idea of how long you have left when deciding where to use it.
• As the more powerful option, if you can line Air up with your target gaining Exposed this will be greatly beneficial - particularly useful in fractals.
• If your rotation is not particularly tight, you may be better off just casting at the earliest possible opportunity, whether you are in Fire or Air.

Fiery Greatsword use

With the trick (see the Earth section below), Earth has the fewest cooldowns to use, and so is the best time to . Summon after using and (if available) and use then drop the weapon and continue your rotation. The next time you reach Earth, pick the second Greatsword up and repeat.

Fire

In Fire you want to use:

Water

In Water you want to use:

• - use if available, but don't delay your attunement swap for it

Air

In Air you want to use:

• .

Earth

In Earth you want to use:

• - as is a powerful autoattack, it is a good idea to delay this until your attunement swap is available, then use and immediately swap (this will not interrupt the cast)
• - use if available, but don't delay your attunement swap for it

Rotation example

While you have opportunities to adjust the element order as needed, in most cases you want your first two attunements to be Fire and Air, followed by Water and lastly Earth. Your choice of starting attunement is largely up to you, but it might be best to base it upon which you wish to open with.

Opener in Fire

1. (optional)

Air

4. once you pass 20 energy (2/3rds of the energy bar) and swap to Water Attunement

Water

5. - if available
6. - swap to Earth Attunement once the cast begins

Earth

2. - if available
3. (if available)
4. - drop Fiery Greastword immediately after the cast
5. until you are at full energy and is nearly off cooldown
7. - swap to Fire Attunement once the cast begins

Fire

9. Return to the start of the Air Section

Keep looping between the four elements, following the advice in the Rotation fundamentals section and adjusting as necessary.

Video example (DPS)

Video example (DPS, using earth elemental)

Sword/Warhorn Rotation

The quickness rotation is almost identical to the DPS one, with the exception that you use every loop and add the use of . You can also add into the fire section if you want more Might generation.

Opener in Air

Fire

5. when ready
6. (if available), followed by
   3. Otherwise, autoattack until Flame Uprising is available

Earth

2. (if available)

Water

2. if available, otherwise autoattack until Air Attunement is ready

Air

1. Autoattack and use and as they come off cooldown
2. when energy is nearly full
5. Return to the start of the Fire Section

Video example